


not just a long day

by Ren (FahRENheit2006)



Series: not just friends (but what i want most) [4]
Category: Wynonna Earp (TV)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Dialogue, Domestic Fluff, Dorks in Love, F/F, Fluff, Gap Filler, Headcanon, Makeouts, Mutual Pining, Not Just Friends, Sweet, fourth date
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-04
Updated: 2017-11-04
Packaged: 2019-01-29 05:55:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,007
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12624669
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FahRENheit2006/pseuds/Ren
Summary: Wherein Waverly and Nicole deal with a delinquent Doc and a rather hectic evening. But a few moments of peace in an otherwise crazy day. At least Nicole is in a good mood.Takes place at the end of 1x10 to showcase what Waverly and Nicole might have been doing while Wynonna/Dolls/Willa took care of business.





	not just a long day

A tired ache rippled down Waverly’s spine, the result of too early a morning and too little sleep fretting over her absent sister. She stifled another yawn.

Drumming her fingers on her laptop, Waverly worried at her lower lip with her teeth. A handwritten note sat next to her bearing a list of 10 names underscored by a big bold “ **HELP** “ at the bottom (a “gift” from the recently returned Wynonna).

Wynonna paced the small office, her haggard blue eyes making her look like a caged animal. She sighed in anger as she put her (brand-new) cellphone to her ear again. “Voicemail,” Wynonna scowled. “Which Dolls never listens to because he says it’s antiquated.”

 _That’s… a rather specific thing to know about Dolls,_ Waverly thought with a nose-wrinkle as she cross-checked the next name on the list. The sinking feeling in her chest was growing with each hit to the police database.

“Yo! Dummy! Stop being a dingus and call me back!” Wynonna barked into her phone. “…and please be okay, also…” She trailed off with an eyeroll and an awkward hand-wave before throwing the phone down.

_Jeez she’s **bad** at this._

“Are you all right there?” Waverly asked softly. She dragged a finger down her cheek to mimic the pair of angry black lines around Wynonna’s right eye. “What **is** that?”

“It’s like Sharpie, it won’t come off.” Wynonna whined as she wiped at her eye again then checked her fingers (still no residue). She poked Waverly in the shoulder. “Find anything?”

_Nothing **good**._

Sighing, Waverly tapped her finger on her laptop. “Every single girl on this list? Found dead. Scattered around the Ghost River Triangle.” She pushed open one of Nicole’s files where ugly photos showed gore and meat and little else. “Autopsies say that they were ‘toyed with and then killed by animals that had gone rogue,’” Waverly quoted from the topmost report.

“Rabies?” Wynonna asked, eyes narrowing in worry.

“No, just… torture.” The wording alone was starting to make Waverly a little sick to her stomach. “Like, every single bone in their body broken, their skin licked off.”

Wynonna’s face contorted in exhausted defeat. “This is why I don’t do pets,” she said simply.

“Have you seen the last word on the list?” Waverly asked with a point to the scrap of paper bag the names had been written on.

“Yea. ‘Help.’ Eve and the rest of those girls are still out there.” There was a tired determination in Wynonna’s voice.

“Yea. With Lunatic Lou,” Waverly agreed.

Shaking her head, Wynonna looked over the girls’ photos and reports spread out on the table. Her eyes were hooded. “Delinquents and runaways. I mean, it could have just as easily been **me** back then that got sucked into this asshat’s scheme.” She frowned.

Waverly reached out and patted Wynonna’s thigh propped up on the table edge.

“Whiskey Jim said he has a weapon…” Genuine worry crossed Wynonna’s face.

“So do you,” Waverly said encouragingly. “A big gun.” Her eyes flicked to Wynonna’s belt.

Wynonna cringed, her eyes deliberately not meeting Waverly’s. “Which I lost. In the Pine Barrens.”

 **“…What?!”** Waverly’s voice was a squawk of outrage.

“Along with my partner,” Wynonna continued. “…why is he not back yet??” She slapped her thigh impatiently and glanced around the office with a huff.

“Maybe they didn’t drop him in Purgatory,” Waverly suggested.

“Which means he’s alone. In the woods. Which he hates.” Licking her lips in a scowl, Wynonna jumped off the table and scooped up her phone before hauling ass out the BBD office door. A loud, deadpan “Shit!” echoed down the hallway.

Waverly started to follow, but made eye contact with Nicole at the police desk. Plus, part of her was—frankly— **pissed** at Wynonna. Especially after being sick with worry for the past day (a worry that turned out to be well-founded, since there was a frickin’ **cult** in the woods kidnapping girls).

And to make matters worse, Wynonna had **lost** Peacemaker: the **one** thing that could break the curse. And the Pine Barrens were a **big** place. A needle in a haystack made of needles.

Waverly felt a tremor of despair join the tired ache in her shoulders. She let Wynonna tear off down the hall and instead leaned over the desk in front of Nicole to brace herself.

That exhaustion lightened a little when Nicole smiled at her, brown eyes sparkling with eagerness.

“Okay,” Nicole murmured as she set down the clipboard she’d been working on. “So where were we? Because I seem to think it was something about, like, candles… you trying to get me into a sexy… black… dress…” Nicole trailed off when she noticed Waverly’s withdrawn expression. Her eager grin sobered to concern. “…Something’s wrong.”

_Oh shit. **Shit!** We were supposed to go out!_

_But Peacemaker! And Dolls! And those girls!_

**_Shit!!_ **

Groaning inwardly, Waverly’s eyes searched the desk as she pensively clasped her hands in front of her. “A **lot** of things might be wrong. Dolls and Wynonna and her **gun** …”

Nicole, still on the chipper side, furrowed her brow in confusion. “Okay, what **is** the deal with that gun, anyway?”

The dispatch radio at the end of the desk crackled to life. The female Ghost River Triangle operator sounded bored. [“We have reports of a pink, four-door sedan driving erratically on Highway 81. Please respond.”]

Waverly’s head shot up to glance at Nicole. She felt a brief twinge of anxiety. “…did she say pink?”

_Oh God, he had to do this **now?** _

_…this is all my fault._

A tight frown accompanied Nicole’s confused look before she arched her eyebrows in question.

Face scrunching with apology, Waverly offered a pleading, toothy grin. “Please? Can we go check it out? It’s important.”

Nicole squinted back, but Waverly could see her resolve weakening. After a few seconds, Nicole rolled her eyes good-naturedly and sighed (with a small smile). She reached over, grabbed the radio and clicked the call button. “10-4. Officer Haught responding.” She nodded at the exit for Waverly to follow as she gathered up her jacket, gloves and Stetson from the coat rack (after telling Phillips she would be out on an 11-95).

Bundled in a brown jacket, scarf and ear muffs, Waverly met Nicole out front of the station. That tired weight still lingered in Waverly’s shoulders, but being with Nicole woke her up with a familiar, giddy feeling in her chest.

“Just so you know…” Nicole muttered quietly, her eyes twinkling with amusement. “…it’s not really standard operating procedure to bring a civilian for a ride-along on a traffic stop.”

Offering a wide, crinkling smile, Waverly skipped slightly as she teased back with mock-confusion, “And here I thought this was a **date**. Is it not?”

“God I **hope** not,” Nicole smirked with a breathy laugh. “It’s definitely not what I, **personally** , had in mind? Unless there’s something you’re **really** not telling me.”

Chuckling, Waverly nudged at Nicole’s shoulder with her own. “Buy you lunch on the way over and I’ll explain?”

Pulling off her Stetson and holding it to her chest, Nicole raised an eyebrow. “This **is** a date. Or else you’re bribing an officer, Waverly Earp. Tsk.” She shot Waverly a dramatic frown before stepping into her cruiser.

Getting into the passenger side, Waverly brought up her phone to try and formulate an intercept strategy. “Less of a bribe, more of a—just that this is… kind of… sort of… probably… my fault?” She cringe-smiled, brows furrowing in apology.

Nicole squinted back at Waverly with skepticism but angled her cruiser down the main thoroughfare. “Somehow I **doubt** that. …Drive-thru Sam’s Samwiches okay?”

Waverly nodded as she studied her phone. It only took about 5 minutes to hit up the deli sandwich drive-thru and be on their way to I-80. A light snowfall sprinkled on the windshield, which sent a pang of worry through Waverly about where Wynonna (and Dolls) had run off to. She crunched on a salt-and-vinegar potato chip as she thumbed around the map app.

_Where are you **going** , Doc Holliday? You big dummy._

Taking a sip of her steaming coffee, Nicole asked, “So what’s the deal? Who’s in the pink sedan? …Can’t be Wynonna, cuz I saw her with **you** five seconds before the call came in. …how’s she’s doing, by the way?”

“She’s okay… for Wynonna. She lost Dolls in the woods so she went to go look for him,” Waverly said with a worried frown.

“Oh dang. Does she need some help canvassing?”

The thought of Dolls throwing a fit over Nicole bringing the cavalry to track him down in the woods almost made Waverly laugh. _It’d serve that big, lone-wolf stiff right._

“I doubt he’d appreciate the fuss, but… you never know. Maybe be on standby? Is that a thing you guys do?” Waverly wrinkled her nose.

Nicole repeated the question back, “Is that a thing the Purgatory Sheriff’s Department does? Not usually.” Drumming her gloved fingers on her steering wheel, Nicole turned on to the I-80 on-ramp. “…is that something I’d do because you asked? Of course.” She winked at Waverly.

That giddy feeling lurched slightly. Waverly smiled back. “ **Thank you.** And thank you for those files from yesterday, by the way. I think we mighta cracked that case. More or less.”

Mouth tightening into an impressed line, Nicole started to say something before the police scanner crackled to life.

That same bored, female dispatcher. [“Another sighting on the pink sedan, this time northeast just past FM 4592. Staties clocked the vehicle going 140 in a posted 50. Officer Haught respond.”]

 _Yes! And we’re heading in that direction!_ Waverly tugged at Nicole’s sleeve, who nodded back. The cruiser sped up slight with a thrum of the throttle. Dusty snow billowed around them on the near-empty highway.

Pulling up her radio, Nicole brought it to her mouth with a click. “10-4, Haught responding and in pursuit. Did they get a license number on the vehicle?”

[“Vanity plate. Sierra-Tango-Oscar-November-Echo-Charlie-Oscar-Lima-Delta.”]

“Copy that. Haught out.” Nicole’s brow furrowed as she put the radio back. She glanced over at Waverly. “’STONE COLD?’ Seriously? Who **is** this?”

Waverly just grimaced. “So, um… yea. It’s—it’s Doc.”

“Doc? Doc-Doc. That guy living on the Homestead that looks like he fell out of a Western? The one Wynonna is… you know…”

_“Banging?” Not anymore._

“That’s the one,” Waverly agreed with a sigh.

Nicole’s fingers splayed on her steering in an attempt at an exasperated hand motion. “…I have so many questions, I don’t even know where to begin.” She chewed her cheek a moment, her neck stiffening. “…are you gonna ask me to go easy on him? Or sweep this under the rug?”

“What?” Waverly tilted her head, semi-offended. “Oh! No! God no, Nicole! Doc **definitely** deserves whatever it is you’re gonna do to him. And **then** some. No, I just want to be able to **yell** at him when you do.”

A breathless exhale of a laugh as Nicole grinned back. She narrowed her eyes for a second. “Wait, I thought you said this was ‘sort of’ your fault? But you’re going to yell at him?” Her head bounced back and forth as she digested that thought.

Waverly played with another potato chip in her fingers before slowly replying. “ **I’m** the one who suggested he… learn how to drive yesterday. And **I** definitely didn’t teach him, and Wynonna wasn’t around. Sooo…” Popping the chip in her mouth, she crunched with a sheepish smile.

“Ohhhhhh.” Nicole drew out the word with pursed lips. “Wait, he doesn’t know how to drive? Then why— **how** does he have a—?”

“Oh! There it is!” Waverly shouted as she saw a pink speck in the distance. She patted at Nicole’s elbow in excitement.

“I see it,” Nicole said as she put the call in over the radio. A flick of her thumb on the dashboard turned on the lights and siren.

Admittedly, this was actually kind of exciting for Waverly. It drowned out the gnawing anger she was feeling towards that stupid cowboy for a minute or two.

That pink speck grew to a distinct Cadillac backend with the red glare of taillights. Nicole did have to come up alongside the sedan, which was thankfully no longer going 140 but still weaving erratically on the snowy surface. She had Waverly lean back so she could point an emphatic finger to the side of the road, which Doc did manage to oblige.

The Cadillac slowed down and pulled off to the side (Doc probably didn’t know how to use his hazard lights). The cruiser came to a stop just behind the sedan, the noisy siren turned off while the red and blue flashers remained. Powdery snow swirled around them in heavy gusts.

Sliding a ticket pad out of her center console, Nicole glanced over at Waverly (who was glaring at the other car, her anger rekindled).

“Stay here?” Nicole asked as she snapped the pad into her metal clipboard. “I need to do my job.”

Waverly just nodded, still staring ahead.

There was a click of a door latch as Nicole stepped out of her car. She set her white Stetson on her head before adjusting her gloves and coat. Waverly admired the view for a moment. There was a calm confidence to Nicole’s walk, and she could practically hear the woman’s soothing voice when saw Nicole’s head tilt as she approached the driver’s side window.

Watching the two exchange words made impatience build in Waverly’s chest. She chewed over her family’s dealing with that Goddamn Doc Holliday since he’d showed up. Most of the time, he’d been trouble.

_But he’d been **our** kind of trouble… Wynonna’s kind at the very least. And he seemed **sort** of loyal, at least to the Earp name? What the **hell** , Doc?? One little spat with Wynonna and you just **bail?!**_

Unable to take it any longer, Waverly popped out of the passenger side. She wasn’t gonna stop Nicole from giving him a ticket ( _oh **please** arrest him please please **pleeeease**_ ), but she **was** gonna give that flighty hustler a piece of her mind.

Waverly stomped towards Doc, fire in her eyes. She saw his terrified expression in the side mirror as she approached. Her voice was an indignant, high-pitched shout. “How about a **frickin’** explanation, huh?!”

Nicole shrank back slightly at Waverly’s rage, but a please smiled curled her lips. The Officer just continued writing her (very straightforward) ticket and stayed out of Waverly’s way.

Waverly heard Doc’s soft Southern drawl from inside the car. “If there is **any** kindness in you: you will arrest me, and **quick**.”

“Sorry there, Stone Cold. Not getting off so easy,” Nicole drawled back as she ripped out the ticket from her pad. A long list of fines was spelled out on the paperwork (failure to have valid ID, failure to have valid registration, speeding 90 miles above posted speed limit) for a grand total of $630 and a court date for late December.

_Serves him right._

Nicole stepped away and gave Waverly a cringing smile (and a wide berth). She whispered, “I’ll give you two a minute” before crunching back in the snow to her cruiser. Through the windshield, Waverly could see Nicole taking a bite of her sandwich and a sip of her coffee. The woman tipped her hat in acknowledgement.

Setting her arm on the driver’s door, Waverly ground her teeth as she studied the man. Doc sat back in defeat as he examined the strip of carbon-copied paper. His moustache twitched in confusion before his eyes sheepishly glanced over at Waverly in his periphery.

“So where do you think you’re going?” Waverly asked sharply.

“Well, I thought I’d visit my Mama’s grave in Valdosta. ‘Bout time, I reckon.” Doc’s gaze was far-off and fond. He almost sounded sincere.

Waverly didn’t buy it for a second. “… **Bullshit** , you’re headed northeast.” She pointed down the highway. Valdosta was **south** east.

Those blue eyes softened as Doc shrugged back at Waverly. “I have vanquished my enemy. I have taken her horse. I am **finished** here, Waverly.” He gestured with an apologetic hand.

“This was your plan the whole time,” Waverly said, voice hard with accusation.

“No, this was **your** plan,” Doc retorted with a familiar, smug smile. “You told me to learn how to drive.”

That made Waverly scowl, mostly because it flared up the guilt already rattling in her chest. “I didn’t mean ‘leave Purgatory without a word!’”

He wasn’t wrong. She could have put off going to the library yesterday. She could have stayed and taught Doc how to drive. He was hurting over Wynonna and she knew it (even if he’d never admit it). But part of Waverly had wanted to punish him for sleeping around with her sister, for always keeping secrets… For always being so full of **bull** shit.

“I do hate goodbyes.” There it was. For just a second, there was a flash of heartbreak in Doc’s eyes. He gave an acknowledging nod before his gruff façade returned.

“Look… we **need** you, okay?” Waverly pleaded. When Doc gave Waverly a scoffing smile, she continued, “ **She** needs you.”

Doc rolled his tongue over his teeth, his tone laced with bitterness. “Well, she has Dolls.” He arched his eyebrows significantly at Waverly before his eyes returned to the road.

_Oh shit… **really** , Wynonna?! _

Waverly was running out of steam… and solid arguments. “…can’t you at least try?” she asked softly. Her eyes flicked back to the cruiser behind them. A visible Nicole had her radio to her mouth, though she waved a finger at Waverly with a smile. “…I mean, I’m trying with Nicole.”

It was the first time she’d actually told another person, out loud.

_“I’m with Nicole.”_

And of all people, she chose Doc. She couldn’t trust the man as far as she could throw him… but **This** … she knew he understood This. And she knew he understood This wouldn’t always be easy, but you still tried anyway.

_Please **try** , Doc. For once in your miserable, selfish life. **Try** to be something better._

Doc managed an appreciative smile… before his expression hardened. “Difference is: she adores you back.” With a tilt of his black hat, Doc turned the ignition. The engine sputtering to life, that pink Cadillac struggled with the icy road for a second before it rumbled off down I-80.

Waverly stared off after Doc, her anger cooling to a sense of loss. She wished she knew what to say. As much as Doc frustrated her, Waverly knew deep down there was a good man in there. She’d seen it. He was a part of this whole Earp Curse mess—a part of Wynonna—no matter how much he tried to run away.

If only he knew it.

Shivering in the snow, Waverly slipped and slid her way back to Nicole’s cruiser. As she settled into the blessedly warm car, her phone pinged with a text message.

[Unknown says: “found dolls & peacemaker!! going after that shitstick lou. wish me luck babygirl! …….christ I need a drink or ten when this is over”]

Adding Wynonna’s new number to her phone, Waverly texted back a fond good luck. She could tell her sister about Doc later. **Hopefully** the man would come to his senses on his own.

“Everything okay?” Nicole asked with a final bite of her sandwich. She eyeballed the retreating vehicle. “Technically, I probably should have had him impounded. **Serious** lack of ID.”

Waverly shot Nicole a sad smile. “If he comes back, I’ll make sure he gets a license and stuff.”

“’If’ he comes back?”

Nodding, Waverly buckled herself in and dug into her own sandwich (she’d been too filled with rage to eat earlier). She wrapped one hand around her own cup of coffee and savored the warmth.

Nicole tilted her head. “Do you mind if I ask: what is Doc’s **deal?** ”

_That’s a big question._

“What do you mean?”

Gesturing wide with her hand, the woman gave an exaggerated head shake. “Like his **whole** deal? He dresses like a card shark from the 1800s. He’s also got no ID, no prior record, no hint that he even **exists**. …And is Doc short for Doctor?”

“Yes,” Waverly confirmed with a suppressed smile.

_Trust me. I went through this whole gambit of emotions when I first met him._

Nicole made a soft sputtering noise in the back of her throat with dismay. “What in **God’s Name** is he a doctor **of?** ”

Waverly had a brief mental image of all the Earp history she’d absorbed over the past decade. The file on one Dr. John Henry Holliday was quite extensive. “He was—is a dentist, actually.”

_Like 145 years ago, but still._

“That Gambler rip-off is a dentist??” Nicole made a horrified face. “I’ll stick with my bi-annual cleanings in the city, thank you.”

“Probably for the best,” Waverly confirmed with a chuckle, as the mental image of Doc trying to use modern dental tools was priceless. She waved her phone at Nicole. “I heard back from Wynonna. She found Dolls. And her gun.”

Laughing lightly, Nicole agreed, “Well as long as she found her **gun**.” She winked at Waverly as she shifted the cruiser into drive and made a U-turn back towards Purgatory.

“So I—I don’t think we can go to the city tonight. For ice cream and… stuff.” Waverly winced with apology, fretful that Nicole would be upset. “I’m really sorry. It’s just—I don’t know. I just don’t think we can.”

A worry settled in Waverly’s stomach like it always did when Wynonna went out. She had escaped Lou before, though. But Waverly didn’t know how taking down Lou might impact Wynonna. Wynonna seemed to take those kidnapped girls pretty hard, so it was a 50/50 chance she’d either want to talk about it or just drown her sorrows in a bottle all alone somewhere.

_And she was already promising needing a drink or ten… Ugh, I can feel the hangover already._

Waverly wanted to be there for her sister, regardless. That was what family did, after all.

But… it meant disappointing Nicole. That Wynonna Worry was mixing together with the fear of screwing up her new relationship. Bailing on dates, lying about the Earp Curse, hiding things… what if—what if it became too much to deal with? She chewed her cheek in consternation.

Looking over at Waverly, Nicole’s brow furrowed as her lip jutted out in sympathy. Nicole cooed with a slanted smile, “Oh, **baby**. …you **have** been dating too many shit-heads.” Her tone was mirthful with an almost patronizing understanding.

Sucking in an angry breath through her teeth, Waverly opened her mouth to protest… then stopped. She then snapped her mouth shut and her cheeks puffed out from a defeated exhale. Scowling, Waverly gave a weak nod. “ **No,** I—Okay… **Maybe**?”

A hand found Waverly’s wrist and stroked it reassuringly. “Waverly, you—and Wynonna and Dolls—your work is complicated. And **I’m** a cop. We don’t always get to pick a good time for stuff. We just… make it work when we can and hope for the best when we can’t. That’s all we really can do. Okay?” Nicole’s smile was gentle.

“Okay,” Waverly agreed softly. She placed her other hand over Nicole’s on her wrist. Her thumb traced along the back of the woman’s hand. “…just so you know, I **was** really looking forward to it.”

“Yea?”

“Yea.”

“Me too,” Nicole replied with a warm smile. “Though I’ve gotten spoiled seeing you pretty much every day this week since we started… all this.” She gestured between them with her other hand. “Which is pretty **amazing**.” Nicole gave Waverly a determined look. “But I’m not in any hurry. I just… want **you** to know: there’s no hurry. Okay?” Nicole looked like she wanted to elaborate, but she just waited.

 _Maybe… maybe **I** want to hurry,_ Waverly thought with a wicked smile. But she just nodded back in acknowledgement. “Okay.” She gave Nicole’s hand a firm squeeze before releasing it.

“I know we can’t go like **out** -out, but… would you be free later? **Just** dinner?” There was a hopeful lilt to Nicole’s question.

Just then, Waverly’s phone rang. She held up a hand with a “Hold that thought.”

_Aunt Gus?_

[“Waverly! Are you at the Homestead?”] The older woman sounded out of breath.

“Nope, I’m… out.” She glanced over at Nicole whose cheek twitched with a smile.

[“Okay, well I’m comin’ by later with some stuff. The tools for your shed we discussed and some of those books and things you picked out yesterday at the house.”]

“Okay. Did you need me to let you in?”

[“Nah, don’t fuss, girl. I’ve still got your spare key that I’d best be returnin’. …Wynonna around?”] There was some worry in Gus’s voice. Even after all these years, those two still had trouble getting along.

Waverly peered out the window to look at the cloudy afternoon sky. “No, she’s… out on a case. Probably won’t be home ‘til real late. If at all.”

[“Still can’t believe someone saw fit to give **our** Wynonna a badge and a gun.”] Gus gave a disbelieving chuckle.

_Well, just the badge. The gun came with._

“She’s pretty dang good at it, Aunt Gus,” Waverly reminded the woman.

[“I’m sure she is. You eat yet?”]

Squinting with one eye in a wince, Waverly said, “I, uh… was gonna have dinner with someone. But I can meet you at the house after? If that’s okay?”

Nicole looked over, eyebrows arched. Her lips formed a little line of suppressed joy.

[“That’s fine, honey. Don’t fuss. I can keep myself busy. I was gonna bring by some leftover stew I’d made. You should have some… You’re lookin’ like skin and bones these past few weeks. You eatin’ enough, girl?”]

Waverly sighed in exasperation. She looked down at herself, insecurity flaring up. “I don’t **think** I’ve lost any—I don’t look **that** bad, do I?” She shook her head, not waiting for an answer. ”…I’m **fine** , Aunt Gus. I’ll see you at the house, okay? Pick you up your favorite beer. …and don’t say ‘don’t fuss’ cuz I’m **gonna** fuss,” Waverly warned in a severe tone.

[“Okay okay.”] Gus relented with a dry laugh. [“See you at the Homestead, kid. Love you.”]

“Love you too,” Waverly replied then swiped to disconnect the call.

When she glanced over at Nicole, the woman seemed to be smiling to herself about something. “…What?”

“I—nothing!” Nicole said as she cleared her throat and shifted in her seat. When Waverly glared at her expectantly for a few seconds, she opened her mouth and licked her lips in an awkward stall tactic. “I was—just… I don’t think look you bad.”

Squinting at how terrible that sounded, Nicole tried again (very slowly). “I… just meant… that… I think… you look… good. …Amazing, actually.” She glanced back at Waverly with a cheesy grin.

“Oh!” To say Waverly was pleased was an understatement. She grinned back. “Thank you. You look pretty amazing yourself.”

Clearing her throat again, Nicole asked, “So… um… I’m off at six. If you wanted, you could hang out at my place til then? If you’re not busy?”

“Oh, that’d be great! I definitely don’t wanna go home yet. Knowing Gus, there’s a million things in the house we didn’t fix right and she’s gonna tell me every. Single. One.” Waverly smiled to herself at the thought of hanging out at Nicole’s. “And! It’d give me and Calamity Jane a chance to bond.”

“Good luck with **that** ,” Nicole quipped with an eyeroll. “I’m not saying it’s impossible. I’m just saying you’ve got your work cut out for you.” She winked. “But if anyone can do it on the first try, it’d be you.” Her smile was small and unreadable.

Nicole had to address a few radio calls on their return to the station, which gave Waverly time to think. She kept stealing furtive glances at the woman, who was still cheerful despite everything. Even the dispatcher’s needling or the threats of more desk duty didn’t dampen Nicole’s mood.

_How was she so effortlessly sweet?_

It made Waverly ache a little in her chest. She was used to Champ’s brand of sweet that accompanied a pause to have it acknowledged. Like a “I did good, huh?” type of attitude.

It was like… Nicole just **was**. Without any hidden motive or expectation. It was comforting.

_Thanks… **baby**._

* * *

When they returned to the station, Nicole turned over her set of house keys to Waverly. Nicole thanked her profusely for taking care of Calamity Jane til she got home. With a small kiss, they parted ways just outside Nicole’s cruiser. The snow finally started to lighten up, too.

Waverly made a very long detour to the liquor store near Nicole’s house after coming up with an ingenious idea. It took her about two minutes to find a six-pack of the seasonal Molson that Aunt Gus loved, but about twenty minutes to gather the other items on her list. Luckily, she did eventually find everything she was looking for, all wrapped in a decorative bag. She clutched both tight as she made her way back to her Jeep.

And no tiny whiskey bottle this time. No jangled nerves. Just that giddy happiness in Waverly’s chest.

She managed to make it to Nicole’s on the first try, remembering the weird, hidden side road leading to the small blue house. With a click of the deadbolt, Waverly headed inside after kicking the snow off her boots. She stowed away her gifts in the kitchen for later.

The house was a little cold for Waverly’s liking, but she didn’t want to be a rude houseguest and start messing with the heater. She **did** remember where Nicole’s side closet was that held spare blankets, though, and grabbed a couple. The blanket she’d used a couple nights ago still sat folded on the couch arm. Just waiting for her to return.

Before building a blanket nest on the couch, Waverly walked a circuit of the house and cooed for Calamity Jane. The ginger cat was nowhere to be found, and Waverly had a brief stabbing worry that she was missing or had escaped.

Squinting her eyes in consideration, Waverly made her way back to the kitchen and started a sweep of pantry and cabinet doors. In the lower pantry, she found an open bag of dry cat food and a small stack of tins.

_I… probably should have asked how much to give her._

_Oh well. This is a goodwill ambassador mission. Gotta build that trust with the lady of the house._

Grabbing a handful of dry food and one of the flat cans, Waverly made a repeat of that cooing noise.

She sprinkled the pellets loudly into one end of the dual food bowl and waited a moment.

Nothing.

Waverly slowly tapped the top of the can before giving the lid a slow peel. The metal creaked loudly as a weird, heavy salmon smell hit her nose. By the time she finished removing the metal lid, there was a hopeful meow at the entryway.

Calamity Jane stood just at the corner’s edge, staring back with honey-colored eyes. She watched Waverly very carefully as the woman upended the can before surging forward to start eating. She allowed a tentative stroke of her fur before swiveling around to glare when Waverly tried again. A paw was readied to swipe.

“Okay, you big grump. You **will** love me, eventually. You’re just delaying the inevitable.”

Only a glare in response as CJ went back to eating.

During Waverly’s sweep she also found an opened bottle of zinfandel which made her smile. Waverly knew they’d finished off the one she’d brought the other night, which meant Nicole had picked this up on her own. She poured herself a small glass and went to work building her blanket nest on the couch.

It felt weird, being in Nicole’s house without Nicole. Waverly wasn’t sure where she belonged, or if she was messing anything up. Leaning over, she scooped up the copy of Little Women she’d loaned Nicole.

Based on the bookmark, Nicole was nearly done already. Waverly smiled and opened to see what part she was at before tucking it back into place. It couldn’t hurt to reread it again. Maybe they could talk about it when Nicole finished.

Settling into her pile of blankets, Waverly stretched out on the couch with her book and took a deep sip of wine. She started to read.

> _Chapter 1. Playing Pilgrims._
> 
> _“Christmas won’t be Christmas without any presents,” grumbled Jo, lying on the rug._
> 
> _“It’s so dreadful to be poor!” sighed Meg, looking down at her old dress._

* * *

The front door opening awakened Waverly, followed by a soft “Hey, you.”

Bolting upright, Waverly looked around. It was dark outside. The house was dimly lit except for her reading lamp. A ginger cat was perched at the end of the sofa back, stretching lazily as it looked up at Nicole.

“Hey! …What time is it?” Yawning, Waverly stretched. Her little nap had been rather refreshing.

“After seven,” Nicole said apologetically as she slid her jacket onto the wall coat rack. “Judge Cryderman’s secretary just **loves** to talk.”

“Dolores? Oh yea, you’re lucky you made it out alive,” Waverly agreed with a chuckle. She stretched out her hand to Calamity Jane, who sniffed her fingers. After a moment, the cat gave her hand a brief face-nuzzle before jumping off the couch. “Did you see that?!”

Nicole laughed as she reached down where Waverly couldn’t see. The motion of her arm indicated she was giving the cat’s thick fur a good scratch. “I did! You worked a miracle.”

“And you **doubted** me,” Waverly said seriously, feigning offense.

“I **said** you’d have your work cut out for you,” Nicole reminded her with a wink. “ **And** I was rooting for you.”

Smirking smugly, Waverly stuck out her chin. “Mmmhmmm.”

Waverly beckoned the woman over with a finger, who eagerly obliged as she made her way around the coffee table. After patting the blanket pile to figure out where Waverly’s legs ended, Nicole flopped down on the couch with a grin. “You look **very** comfortable.”

Not saying anything, Waverly pulled Nicole into a deep kiss. Her hand trailed around the back of Nicole’s now loose French braid. She felt a hand search around her side for the edge of the blanket before slipping underneath to her bare abs with a gentle stroke.

Running her fingertips along Nicole’s jaw, Waverly flicked her tongue over Nicole’s lips with a wicked grin. The woman exhaled in a light laugh through her nose before responding in kind. Nicole leaned into Waverly which pushed her back against the couch into her blanket pile. Their heads had to switch tilt for a better position, their noses bumping along the way. It was Waverly’s turn for a breathy laugh just as Nicole pulled at her bottom lip with a nibble.

They pulled apart for a second, eyes searching the other’s face. Waverly saw quiet wonder in Nicole’s eyes. She wasn’t sure how she looked, but whatever Nicole saw made her smile wider. They dipped back together for a slow, soft kiss. That hand at Waverly’s side shifted and stroked upward, tracing its way up her ribs.

With an impatient whimper, Waverly dropped her hand down and tugged at Nicole’s uniform shirt. The button-down pulled loose from Nicole’s belt, giving Waverly free reign to slip her own hand to find bare abs. Her skin was so soft and **warm**. The was a slight flinch and a brief chuckle when apparently Waverly hit the wrong ( _right?)_ spot.

_So. She’s ticklish._

Nicole pushed back with a deeper kiss, tongue flicking along Waverly’s upper lip and teeth. She felt an answering whimper from Nicole as the woman’s head dropped. That hand roaming her ribs ghosted over a breast before sweeping up to her neck. Lavishing kisses down Waverly’s jaw, Nicole trailed down her neck before that hand started to push her green top’s shoulder down. She started sliding Waverly’s bra strap down with it, a kiss in place of the elastic.

Fumbling with Nicole’s shirt, Waverly’s thumbs picked at the bottom-most button. She couldn’t seem to undo it, especially from such a low, sharp angle. She let out a light hiss of frustration. Instead, Waverly let her fingertips wander to Nicole’s belt and attempt to work there.

A sharp, judgmental meow made Waverly open her eyes. Glancing over at the coffee table, a ginger cat sat pompously swishing its tail. Just past Calamity Jane, Waverly’s eyes caught the time on the DVR.

_8:10PM._

_Shitballs!_

Clearing her throat, Waverly smiled sheepishly. “I should… probably get going. Aunt Gus is waiting and she usually goes to bed early.”

Nicole’s head tilted with a frown of apology. “Aw, no time for dinner? Well **shit**. I’m sorry, Waves,” she replied, rolling off of Waverly’s hips.

_…That’s it? No argument? No convincing me to stay?_

It felt unfair to make the Champ comparison, but he **was** Waverly’s most recent frame of reference: Champ would have begged and bartered and guilted for her to stay. She was so used to that sort of pushback that Waverly wasn’t sure what to do about this.

Was she offended by how quickly Nicole had conceded? Or was it refreshing to make a decision and not have to spend the energy rationalizing it?

“Are you… okay with that?”

Nicole shot Waverly a wide-eyed, tender look. “Of course! I just feel bad that you didn’t get to eat first. Since you’re wasting away to nothing, apparently.” Her gaze lingered downward, but her appraisal was nothing but complimentary. Brown eyes snapped back up to Waverly’s with an accompanying smile. “I should have picked something up on the way home. Sorry.”

_I guess I **have** been dating a lot of shit-heads._

“It’s okay. I’ve still got stew waiting for me at home. Gus’ll be thrilled. …What are **you** gonna do?” Waverly asked.

Just as she was about to reply, Nicole’s phone rang.

The woman scowled, but when she checked her phone her eyes widened in shock.

Waverly nodded at Nicole’s phone. “Who is it?”

Nicole tucked a loose strand of red hair behind her ear. “Nedley.” She shot Waverly a worried look before answering.

The man’s voice on the other end was far too low for Waverly to pick up. All she caught was Nicole’s side of the conversation.

“This is Haught… …Just got home… …What’s going on? …Yes, sir. …Yes, sir… Okay, sir… I’ll be up there soon. Okay.”

“That doesn’t sound good,” Waverly commented as she adjusted her shirt and bra back into place.

“It **is** , actually,” Nicole said as she stood up. She started to tuck her shirt in. “They found a whole slew of girls in some crazy cult. Mostly runaways from around the Ghost River Triangle.”

_Wynonna!_

Nicole continued, “I guess the Feds took down the leader in a sting, so now they need help getting the girls back to their families. Be more comfortable with a female officer present to help process and take statements.”

“Oh, uh… that’s great! I mean, it sucks you have to go back to work, but that’s great you get to be a part of it.” She chewed her cheek and avoided eye contact.

_God, I hate this. Am I **allowed** to talk about this, **Dolls**? I didn’t get a frickin’ rule book._

Nicole stopped getting ready and tilted her head at Waverly. “…this is what you were talking about earlier, isn’t it? When you said you cracked those cases I gave y’all. This wasn’t ‘the Feds,’ this was Wynonna and Dolls,” she stated.

“Um…” Waverly trailed off. She shrugged with a cringing smile. “…Kind of. Probably. …Yea.”

Nicole stared at her phone for a moment. “I don’t know how Wynonna did it. I don’t understand **how** she does what she does… and I **know** you know more than you’re letting on, Wave.” Nicole’s eyes flicked up to Waverly’s, her expression slightly wounded.

A pang of guilt stole the air from Waverly’s lungs.

Then Nicole’s gaze softened with a smile. “ **But** … please keep doing what you’re doing. I’m glad there are people out there like Wynonna… like you.” She leaned over to rest her forehead against Waverly’s. “Just maybe let us cops help every now and then, okay? I **promise** we’re good at it.”

“Okay… I mean, I’d have to ask Dolls… it’s kind of his show,” Waverly said with an apologetic wince.

A breathy laugh in response. “Right.” Nicole leaned forward to kiss Waverly before heading for the kitchen. “Well, I see you found the wine. I think I still have some leftovers. Sure you’ll be okay?”

Before Waverly could answer, she heard a distinct crinkling of a bag. Nicole called over, “Hey, what’s this?”

Grinning, Waverly stood up and leaned against the kitchen door frame. She nodded towards the bag. “Just a small gift. You can open it.”

Nicole’s mouth tightened to an impressed line. “Wave… you didn’t have to…”

Reaching a hand in, Nicole pulled out the largest item first: a bottle of moscato. Nicole turned to her, raising a suspicious eyebrow. “How did you know?”

“You’d be surprised what Mickey over at Lucky Liquor remembers. I did some asking and found out that ‘that red-haired lady cop’ buys a lot of this moscato. **And** I found out your other favorite ice cream to boot.” Waverly tossed her head in the direction of the refrigerator.

“You didn’t…”

“Oh, I did.”

Nicole yanked open the freezer door to find one pint of chocolate chip cookie dough, one mint chocolate chip, and one Cherry Garcia stacked neatly in a row. The woman made a deep, appreciative exhaling sound. “This is **dangerous** to leave alone with me.”

“Next time, then,” Waverly said with a grin. She stuck her chin out at the bag again. “There’s more, too.”

Digging at the bottom of the bag, Nicole held up a pair of dangling charms: a unicorn and a cowboy hat.

Leaning over the kitchen table, Waverly rested her head on her hands. “I thought they were cute! For our wine glasses!”

Nicole nodded, her smiled slanted and pleased. She pulled an empty glass out of the cupboard and snapped the cowboy hat charm on hers and set it next to the moscato. “For next time, then.”

The last item in the bag had been extremely difficult to find at a liquor store. Luckily, it shared space with a small general store that had a seasonal discount section. A small glass jar containing a dark gel and a wick: a candle.

Her mouth an intrigued line, Nicole brought the candle to her nose for a sniff. She nodded in approval. She turned to Waverly, lips parted in question. But her eyes suddenly widened before she spoke, “…Is this… what I think it is?”

Waverly bit her lower lip and smiled through her eyelashes. “It’s… a promise.”

“Waverly… you don’t have to promise me anything. We just… see what happens.”

“I know I don’t **have** to. I still **want** to.”

“…Okay.”

“Okay.”

Leaning over the other side of the kitchen table, Nicole captured Waverly’s lips in a gentle kiss. “Call you tomorrow?”

“You better.”

A light laugh. Nicole straightened and grabbed a Styrofoam container from the fridge. They left Nicole’s house together. Waverly locked up and tucked the keys back into Nicole’s pocket. Sharing a goodbye kiss, they parted ways in Nicole’s driveway.

* * *

Waverly opened her front door with a sliding click. Following a suspicious rattling sound, Waverly made her way to the kitchen where Aunt Gus hovered over a steaming stewpot on the stove. She was picking through their upper cabinets. Her neck turned when Waverly knocked on the doorframe.

“Just giving you girls some better pots and pans. The good stuff, not this new plastic shit that doesn’t last a year.”

“Okay, Aunt Gus,” Waverly said distractedly as she set down her purse and coat.

Standing upright, the woman’s dark eyes looked her up and down. Gus asked, “Where were you?”

Waverly smiled to herself. “I was… unsticking my wings.”

A nod of approval from Gus. She flicked her tongue over her teeth with a sucking sound before narrowing her eyes. “…is she worthy of you?”

Waverly tilted her head thoughtfully, a slanted grin pulling at her cheek. “I think so, yes.”

A different nod, an impressed one. Gus gave Waverly a soft smile. “Hopefully **she** does, too. Otherwise…” That smile hardened to a stern glare.

Chuckling lightly, Waverly went over and kissed her aunt’s cheek. She accepted the bowl of stew offered in exchange for the six-pack of beer under her arm. Gus made an intrigued hum sound in the back of her throat when she saw the label.

The two women traded stories about the Homestead for the next few hours. Wynonna’s talent for breaking things, Waverly’s short-lived hobbies, even some of Willa’s scuffles with the neighbor boys.

Gus didn’t ask any more questions about Nicole, but Waverly was still pleased. This was the second person she’d more or less told: _“I’m with Nicole.”_

All that was really left to tell was… Wynonna.

_Maybe after the stuff with Doc blows over?_

Hearing the crunch of tires on the gravel driveway, Waverly leapt up from her spot on the couch. She’d been mentally preparing for how to explain to Wynonna that Doc had skipped town. And again, didn’t have a great answer. She had settled on softening the blow.

She was relieved to see to see her sister, though her odds on Wynonna’s mood were way off. She had **hoped** Wynonna would be her usual snarky (but upbeat) self, maybe with a celebratory drink in hand.

Except the elder sister was anything but.

Wynonna jumped out of her beat-up blue truck with a clouded expression. Her posture was stooped from a long couple of days. The black smudges over her right eye were mostly gone and Peacemaker sat on her belt, at least.

_God, she looks tired._

Shivering in the night chill, Waverly stuttered out, “Hey… so… listen, you gave Doc a car, and… well… the **thing** is that when you give someone a car—“

“Not now,” Wynonna interrupted, holding up a hand.

_Tired **and** grumpy._

Her sister gestured to the other woman who stepped out of her truck, an imperious figure laden in a white dress and furs. Wynonna waved her forward. The woman had a familiar look that Waverly couldn’t place.

Wynonna’s tone was soft and uncertain. “This is one of the women we helped today. I said she could crash here for awhile.”

Nodding, Waverly offered her most welcoming smile. She started mentally calculating how the Homestead could accommodate (since Gus was also staying over).

_Spare blankets? Check._

_Pillows? Probably gonna have to move some around._

_She looks like Wynonna’s size, so maybe they can share pajamas. Ooh! Or maybe some of the clothes Gus brought over might work!_

_I could probably bunk with Gus and she could stay in Wynonna’s room if Wynonna slept on the couch? It seems wrong to make someone living under a Revenant for years sleep on a couch…_

_Do we have enough food? I think we have enough for breakfast and maybe lunch. If I go to the store early, we should—oh I should ask her if she has any dietary restrictions. She lived in the woods, right? I wonder what kind of stuff she—_  

Wynonna approached with her hands in her pockets. She gestured with her shoulder. “Waverly, this is—“

The screen door flew open with a bang as Gus strode outside. “Would you girls **kindly** get your butts in here and—and—“ The older woman ground to a halt, the beer bottle in her hand shattering on the front porch.

Her face ashen, Gus stared past Waverly at the new arrival. “Willa.”

**Author's Note:**

> This chapter was a huge juggling act with the events of the show. Hopefully it didn't come across too jumbled.
> 
> I also got pretty cavalier with my cop radio dispatch, so any suggestions on how to clean that up would be welcome!


End file.
